A top Republican senator said Monday that a federal spending freeze is needed to reign in President Obama's massive budget proposal, and limit the government's slide toward "socialism."

Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, said the President is pursuing a "socialist" form of government that will stifle the free market.

The statement is the first sign that Republicans may begin to be more active in vocalizing their disagreement with the President's programs.

In an interview Tuesday with the Washington Times, Grassley said a spending freeze is necessary to get the federal deficit under control and to show voters that the government is capable of living within its means in hard times.

Click play for more on Grassley's comments with Dan Kish of the Institute for Energy Research.

"What you get when you have an across-the-board freeze is everybody is seen as contributing something," Grassley said.

"Congressmen don't get an increase in pay," he continued. "Government pensions don't go up. You don't charge senior citizens more for their Medicare premium than you did the year before."

He also added that a three-year freeze would produce a more dramatic effect.